Chad and I have had it in the works for a long time to go to California for our fifth anniversary. I actually figured it out almost two years ago. I took into account all aspects of family planning before deciding the kids would be old enough to leave for a week since nursing and all other binding activities would not be a part of our lives. Yea! We packed up, dropped the kids off at my wonderful mother-in-law's house and away we went. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to leave the kids. It does help that I know they were in the best of hands.
As we were getting ready for our plane to take off and as I people-watched and wondered what each person's story was, I thought: I'm a mother. And I wonder if I look like a mother, if these people whom I am watching know that I'm a mother. And I thought about how becoming a mother is such a life-altering happening. How I'll forever be tied to those two little people. Much like Adam and Even becoming mortal--something changing in their blood. The point was further driven home to me when
my mother texted later that night to make sure that her grown and married daughter had made it safely to California. Forever tied.
We started our vacation with the rumbles of the beach and the enormous board walk of Santa Monica pier under our feet. I loved watching the vendors as they sold their various commodities along the way. It reminded me of Brazil and how the people there make anything they think will bring a buck.
Our second day was also filled with noise and bustle at Knott's Berry Farm. We arrived with about ten middle school buses and after standing in line with them for thirty minutes at the first roller coaster, I was sure I was going to kill them all. Luckily we lost the crowds after that and blissfully walked right onto every roller coaster until after lunch time.
I can say a few things about L.A. It really is pretty there. The rolling mountains covered with foliage of some type or another eventually smoothing out into the beaches and the ocean. And the weather! Oh, what wonderful weather. BUT the
traffic! The traffic would be enough to relocate me if I lived there. It is truly terrible.
Just the opposite of the noise and hustle of traffic and theme parks, we visited the L.A. temple in such tranquility. I LOVED that temple. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was not prepared for the gigantic rooms and the beautiful murals. It rivaled the inside of the Salt Lake Temple and actually one of the workers said that the session rooms of the L.A. temple are actually larger. I loved it and was so grateful that there existed a place like that amid such madness. (And they had really cool trees on the temple grounds).
We spent the rest of our time eating and driving, visiting museums and Hollywood (which wasn't worth the drive), going to a movie or eating whenever we wanted. It was so nice. And I loved getting dessert twice a day. In the end, I was anxious to see my babies. But they did well without us and that encourages me to think that maybe Chad and I could get away again sometime.
